The restaurateur behind Huggo's and Paradise Catering has opened four luxury cottages on Anaehoomalu Beach in the Waikoloa resort. Called the Lava Lava Beach Club, the 576-square-foot cottages range from $450 to $495 a night, with multi-night and dining discounts. www.lavalavabeachclub.com.

Oahu

Pedestrians heading to Diamond Head will be able to use a new, wider, multiuse path with picnic and rest areas this fall, once the new Fort Ruger Pathway opens. Scheduled to be ready in November, the 1.3-mile trail will ease the way for those walking along Diamond Head Road, much of which has no sidewalk.

Those planning to rent a kayak at popular Kailua Beach Park will also have to do some walking. Last month the Honolulu City Council banned all commercial activity at the park, so many kayakers must wheel their crafts to the white-sand beach from several blocks away.

Guests ages 16 and older at the Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk can stretch their legs with free one-hour yoga classes Tuesday and Friday mornings on the Grand Lanai, or in the privacy of their rooms, thanks to a new yoga video channel using Hawaii-based instructors. embassysuiteswaikiki.com.

Kauai

The Princeville Ranch combines yoga with horseback riding on a new private tour. It begins with centering and stretching, and includes techniques to "deepen the rider-horse bond," along with 30 minutes of standing yoga poses in a scenic hidden spot, for $245. www.princevilleranch.com.

At the Grand Hyatt Kauai, you may learn how to keep your distance from the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, which despite its dwindling numbers can be frequently spotted resting on beaches in the area. Free educational programs take place at the poolside Dock area at 5:30 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of the month and at 9 a.m. the second and fourth Thursdays. kauai.hyatt.com.

Maui

The inaugural Wailea Wine & Food Festival will showcase the resort's chefs and sommeliers, as well as top California winemakers, Dec. 6-9. Tickets go on sale Monday at waileawineandfoodfestival.com.

Just up the road in Kihei, popular dinner spot Sarento's on the Beach in Kihei is now open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily. The menu features local products, with binoculars on tables to enjoy the views. sarentosonthebeach.com.

Work off those calories with a core workout from stand-up paddling: Tiki Man Stand Up Paddle now has two exclusive sites for private and group lessons, Napili and Kapalua bays. Rates start at $90 per person for 90 minutes. www.tikimansup.com.

Molokai

First Father Damien, now Mother Marianne: Come Oct. 21, the latter will be the second person associated with the former leper colony of Kalaupapa to be canonized by the Vatican. The German-born nun from upstate New York served many years there, but unlike St. Damien, never contracted the disease.

Celebratory Masses and other services take place around the islands between Oct. 21 and Nov. 4, with special events in Molokai Nov. 2 at the new St. Damien Church in Kaunakakai, and Nov. 3 in Kalaupapa, now a national historical park; see www.catholichawaii.org for details.

Lanai

Oracle founder Larry Ellison's purchase of 98 percent of the island from fellow billionaire David Murdock may have been big news in June, but so far the yachtsman has made few waves on the tiny island. One small splash: He reopened the community swimming pool in Lanai City, the only public pool on an island where most beaches require four-wheel-drive to access.

For more news and photos with this story, see the Hawaii Insider blog on SFGate.com/hawaii.